Apparatus for loading coal



Dec. l1, 1923. 1,476,882

J, A.v FoRsYTH APPARATUS FOR LOADING GOAL Filed Oct 19. 1921` 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

s 46 J0 36 FIGg 4 m42' 44 4? Dec. 11, 1923. 1,476,882

.L A. FoRsYTH APPARATUS FOR LOADING COAL Filed oct. 19. 1921 s sheets-sheet 5 FIG. 7

II III "Ill Il Hl "Il Il Il'lll ll l VEPATH d -m A /ff Patented Dec. 1l, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. FORSYTH, OF NEMACOLIN, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH T0 CLYDE J. SMITH, OF UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING COAL.

Application filed October 19, 1921.

To all whom t may concern.'

it known that I, JOHN A. FoRsYTH, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of l'einacolin, in the county oi Greene and 'ltate ot Pennsylvania, have invented a new id .i l improvement in Apparatus for r Coal; and l do hereby declare the own to be a lull, clear, and exact de- ;,criptl n thereof.

'V iir,feii'tion relates to methods and api loading into cars dislodged coal or other mineral which has been previously broken down in the mine.

'lhe general object oit my invention is to provide a machine which shall operate to load the coal into a connected train or cars, beginning with the car that is nearest i mine entrance, so that when the cars oit the train are iilled .in is ready to be drawn out of the l. Urdinary loading methods require t cach car be individually brought to the g place, loaded, and taken away, which involves much loss of time in bringing un the empty cars one by one and taking the loaded cars.

specifically, one object of my invention is to provide a loading conveyer composed o1" any suitable number of similar nnits. and capable of conveying coal to a sufiicient number ci cars in a given working place 'to load out a cut oi' coal which has previously lbeen broken down and which is delivered to the conveyor by means oi' a loading machine.

.fk further object oi i'ny invention is to provide a novel and effective method oi loading out coal from a working place, whereby the coal is gathered up and conveyed along and above the mine track and loaded into a connected trip oi empty cars, beginning with the last car, the cars being drawn out from "i the conveyor as each car is loaded, a l he; M ready to be taken out of the mine n. hen all oi? the cars have been filled.

fr 'further object oi' my invention is to proa unit conveyor, composed oit simlar units .sr-.ch length and size that they may be readily transported in the limited space available in a coal mine, and may be readily assembled to torno. a conveyer of proper to convey the coal along and above the t length oi a train of empty cars, wherethe coal may be loaded without uncon- Serial No. 508,712.

pling the cars, beginning with the car nearest the mine entrance.

Other objects and advantages oi' my invention will appear in the following description.

My invention is particularly, although not exclusively, intended for use in mining coal by the room and pillar system, wherein main entries are driven through the seam with face entries driven laterally from the main entries, and butt entries are turned oli1 perpendicularly to the face entries to provide access to rooms which are driven oil from the butt en ries at suitable intervals. In driving the rooms, the mine track is laid adjacent to the rib of coal that is lett unmined, and on account of the posts which support the roof, and the space taken up by slate and rei"- 'use, the space available for the tracks, cars,

and locomotives is only about l0 feet wide. Mine cars and locomotives vary in width from l- 'feet to 6 feet, and the bituminous mining laws. require a clear space oi 3 feet at one side of the cars for safety. It is therefore necessary to use but a single track in the working places. According to the loading methods now employed, only one car can be brought up to the working place at one time :tor loading. The gathering locomotive, horse., or mule, as the case may be, takes several. empty cars from the side track provided elsewhere in the mine or outside oi the mine, and goes from place to place, leaving one car at time in each working place, until all of the cars are placed. It is then necessary to go over this same ground again and pick up the loaded cars, pull the loaded cars to a side track, which is usually a considerable distance away from the working places, and then start out again with. a new string ol" empty cars. This operation consumes a great deal of time, and it has been found that the loss ot time resulting from the placing of empty cars and taking away loaded cars more than offsets the advantage oi mechanical loading machines. For this reason inechanical loaders have not met with much success, for although they are able to load coal rapidly, the cars cannot be brought to them fast enough to warrant their use.

My present invention aims to overcome the diiiiculty just described and to enable a connected string of cars to be loaded at any lil() given working place, notwithstanding the limited space available. l accomplish this by means o'l a series et unit conveyers which receive the coal from any suitable mechanical loader and convey it to a point above the mine track `which is ,tar enough removed from the loader to enable a complete string of cars, suilicient in number 'to load out an entire cut of coal, to be passed beneath the conveyers. These unit conveyers are so mounted as to bridge the mine tracl-z, leaving suilicient clearance to permit the train of cars to berun beneath vthen. Unit conveyors transfer the coal from one to another', and a suiiicient lnumberof unit conveyers are einployed to bring the discharge end oit the last unit conveyer above the last car in 'the train As each car -is loaded the train is drawn out from beneath the conveyers to bring the neitfcar in position for loading', and when the last car is loaded the entire train of loaded cars is ready to be drawn out oi the mine without assembling or coupling the cars togethern"add'ition, I provide mans tcr moving; the unit conveyers on tracks outside oi" and raised above the'mine racks, so as to enable the unit conveyers to be moved toward t face of the coal asthe mining' proceeds, and also to enable the conveyors to be loaded upon ordinary coal cars and moved :trom working;` place to working; place. .Flach oin the unit conveyors is a seht-contained nuit with a driving motor `ami an endless con-- '.veyer, and l provide a system oit electrical control whereby they entire series oi unit conveyersmay be started or stopped irom any one of the vunits by the use oiu suitable pnsh button switches-` Another feature of 'my invention. is the provisionolvmeans whereby' the string of empty carsywhen brought to the machine, may be drawn beneath the unit conveyers by power supplied by the machine itself, and after the first car is' loaded` may be drawn out from beneath the conveyors from time to time to permit the cars to be loaded suc cessively.r This device consists ot a set oit drums carried by a suitable part of. the mechanism and provided with cables connected to the front and rear cars o't the str-i12 g, will bemore 'fully described below. The accompanying;` drawing/y shows thc form in which now prefer to construct my invention, it being,v understood, however, that various changes in the construction a i. an rangement o' parts may readily be made. In the drawing l is a plan 'view ot a complete loading machine 'with a set ot conveyer units constructed 'in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. Fig, 3 .is aplan view ol one of the unit conveyers; Fig. l is a sideelev'ational view of' the unit conveyer oi 3; 5 is an end eleva l, 9 and supported at a It will be understood that the present ape plicatlon relates to the unitconveyers, and not to the loading mechanism which de livers the coal 'to the conveyers. This loading mechanism tori s the subiect or my co A pendingap aiieation for Letters Patent, tiled January lll 99%, Serial llo` 528,926, and is shown on l and Q, ot the present application in a diagrammatic way, for the purpose ot' better illustrailing),` the operation oit my unit convevers rlhe several mechanis shown in riga l and 2 include an ir ined conveyor ior .gratherinp,` up the dislodged coal irom the mine floor, the con- 'reyer being` pivotally mounted on a turntable 5l which slidabie on a carriage l having,` wheels ruiming on tracks 6 which may be ordinary e traclrs, and may be laid on metal ties i. material from the conveyor 2 and transfers it to a storage hopper 9 'trom which another conveyor lll conveys the coal to the st of a series ot i1 t conieyers il, two oit which are shown in `the drawing. Electric power for operatine' the several mechanisms ot the machine is tah'en in a mi e trolley 'l2 su italiiiy by means pantograph currentcollector i3, by a cable lea:1 which may not eze i the mine trolley, to the working place.

Each of the nuit conveyors il comprises 'a Ytrame composed ot vert cal members lo connected together by means of longitudinal beams i6 and transverse bca-ms l? itramed rei .is snol/n in rigs. l anc. o. .ine

transverse beams li" exto d across th upper members l5 so as to liorm a bridge structure beneath which ends only of the vertical co-onerate with the members l5 to form.

bearings 'for wheels 520. llumjeers 2l en from the troni; and rear o? each conveyer unit and are provided w h hook-chains 22 and eye-bolts 9,3 'tor connory ingr the units together. Y

The wheels ru. consisting' of cham lek i hipjher than Ithe level oli the tra iii.- mea of snaced ll--shapcd supports 25. The supports may conveniently be lported on the projections ties l by means curved formed on the underside of their inner ends A conveyor 8 receives the t to the machine shown lll() and straight projections 27 formed on the underside of their outer ends. The tie-s 7 are made with suitable openings to receive the curved projections 26 and the straight projections 27, and the sections of the auxiliary tracks 24 may be placed in position on the ties 7 by merely inserting the curved projections 26 in their openings in the ties 7 and then lowering the auxiliary track section until the straight projections 27 engage the openings provided for them in the ties 7. The sections of the channels 24 may be connected at their ends by any suitable form of joint construction (not shown). By punching the openings for the projections 20 and 27 at the proper positions with reference to the tracks 6, and by spacing the supports at suitable intervals corresponding to the spaces between the ties 7, the auxiliary tracks 24 when attached to the ties, will always be the proper distance apart, at the proper gauge to support the unit conveyers. The inclined approach end of the auxiliary track is widened as shown at 28, Fig. 1, so as to' insure that the wheels 20 of the conveyers will register with the tracks.

The uprights 15 on each unit conveyer are made higher at one end than at the other. Brackets 30 and 31 extend beyond the frame at the front and rear, and support bearings 32 in which are journaled shafts 33 which carry sprocket wheels around which extend endless chains 34 carrying an endless flight conveyor 35. The brackets 30 at the lower end of the conveyer also support inclined wings 36 which are pivoted at 37 and are provided with supporting rods 38 so as to e raised when the conveyors are in operation to prevent the coal from escaping over the sides of the conveyer as it drops from the upper end of the preceding unit.

Each unit conveyer is provided with a separate driving motor 40 mounted on a convenient support 41 at the side of the conveyer frame, and having its armature shaft 42 connected by means of a coupling' 43 to a shaft 44 which extends through a suitable gear housing (not shown) and carries at its end a bevel pinion 46 meshing with a bevel gear 47 on a countershaft 48 which extends across the frame and carries at its end opposite to the gear 47 a spur gear 49 meshing with a spur gear 50 on the drive shaft 33 at the upper end of the conveyer.

ligs 7 is a diagram of an electric control system tor controlling all of the unit conveyers together, and for enabling the entire set of unit conveyers to be started and stopped from any one of the individual unit switches Power is brought to the machine from the trolley 12 through a cable containing conductors 61 and 62 which are controlled by means of a switch 63. From one of the contact members 64 of the switches 63 a conductor 65 leads to one of the stationary contact members 66 of a solenoid master switch 67, which has a movable contact member 68 mounted on an insulating sup port 69 carried by a pivoted arm 70 which is operated by the core 71 of the solenoid coil 72.

From the .contact member 66 a conductor 73 leads through a suitable fuse 74 to a twopoint momentary-contact push button switch 75 having two contact arms 76 and 77. A spring 78 normally keeps the arms 76 and 77 in their open position while permitting either of these arms to be moved into temporary contact with fixed contact members 79 and 80, respectively. The fixed contact member 80 is connected by means of conductors 81 and 82 to one terminal 83 of the solenoid coil 72, and the other terminal 84 of the solenoid is connected by means oit a conductor 85 to the negative fixed contact member 86 of the main switch 63.

The fixed contact 79 of the push button switchl 75 is connected by means of a conductor 87 to one terminal of a relay solenoid 88, the other terminal of which is connected by means of a conductor 89 to the return wire 85 which leads to the negative Contact 86 of the main switch. The terminal 83 of the master switch solenoid 82 is connected not only to the conductor 82 but to the main wire 98 by means of conductors 90 and 91 in which is inserted a relay switch controlled by the solenoid 88 and consisting of a fixed contact member 92 and a movable contact member 93 which are connected to the conductors 91 and 90, respectively. The movable contact member 93 is carried by an insulating block on an armature 94 which is pivoted at 95 and is normally caused, by means of a spring 96, to bring the movable contact 93 into engagement with the fixed contact 92, thus completing the circuit through the solenoid 72. When the relay solenoid 88 is energized, the armature 94 is drawn toward the core of the solenoid 88, thereby separating the contact members 92 and 93 and breaking the circuit through the master switch solenoid 72.

The motor 40 of the first unit conveyer has its terminals connected by means of conductors 96 and 97 to the main conductors 98 and 99 respectively, a suitable automatic accelerator 10() being inserted in the motor circuit to permit the motor to build up speed at starting. The main conductor 98 is connected to the lixed terminal 101 of the master switch 67, while the main conductor 99 is connected to the negative contact 86 ot the main switch 63.

The main wires 98 and 99 and the control wires 74, 82 and 87 are all connected to suitable terminals in a plug connector 102 which connects the several wires to the corresponding wires of the next unit conveyer,

thesewires being..numbered\v ony Figi-7 to correspond with vthe similar` wires in the' contact 774 intoy en0wement with the` tiredV rz'u contact 80, the circuit is completed through the terminal 6.1i, the `'conductor (i5, the terminal 66, the conductor 73, the switch terminais 77 and 80, the conductorsl, 82 and 8f3, the solenoid 72 and conductors 841 and 85 to the negative terminal 80 oll the main switch 63.` The solenoid 72 of the master switch 67 beingthus eneig'izl-JC'.,v the main circuit through thel conductors G6 andlOitis coin pleted and current Vtiows in the main circuit through conductors 65, terminals G0 and 101, conductor 93, accelerator100, aud conductor 96 tofthe `motorlO, returning` 'thi-migliore ductois 97 and 90 to the negative terminal 86 ot the main switch 63. y Pls the motors 410 of all the sueceedii'igg` unit con veyers arecoir nected across themain vwires 98 and 90, all` of the motors are sim,ultaneoushT energized and all of the conveyers are placed in opel ation. .y

Atthe same time that .the main circuit. is energized, the :auxiliary control circuit through the solenoid 72 is completed, the' current i'iowingf from the main wire 98 through wire` 91 contacts 92 and 93, and

wires 90aud 33, to the solenoid coil 72, re#

turning' asbetoi'e 'through wires 84C aiidS to the terminal'SG ot the main switch 03. @n

account; of the provision of this last-named auxiliary control 'circuit through the solenoid 72 the pushbut-tonswitch may be operated only momentarily and may be ref leased as soon as the motors begin` to operate. The motors willcontinue to operate until the` Stopl, button of one oit the push button switches 75y is operated to bring itscontact 76L into engagement with the fixed cont-acty 79, 4which completes f the circuit througlithe solenoid 72, the current passing froml the switch 7 5 through thecontacts 76 and 79 and wire 87 tothe solenoid coil 83 and thence through wires 89' and to the negative Contact 36' of the main switch.v The solenoid 88,'being thus energized, attracts the armature 94 :and 'the movable contact 93 is thereby separated from the fixed Contact 92, thereby breaking the' circuit through the solenoid 72, whereupon the core 71 falls by gravity and withdraws `the 'movable contact member 68 tromthefixed contact members 66 and 101, thus breaking .the main circuit through theiinotors and stopping all of the 'eonveyers simultaneously.

In order tofmove the cars C so as to move them beneath the unit convey'e'r and then ad-` vance 'them at the proper times to be loaded in succession, I provide two cables 110 and 111 which are 'carriedby drums `112 and 113,

respectively, carried by a suitable part oit Asshowii on Figsfl and 2,

the machine. lthese .drums are carried by the storage liop-` per 9, but it is to be understood that they may also be mounted elsewhere in advance yolz the unit conveyers.

not shown, is provided .tor rotating` the A suitable motor,

drums 112 and 113 simultaneously, and the drums may be provided with a solenoid brake or` other suitable braking ynie-ans.l AThese drivingv and braking arrangements are such as are commonly used in hoisting `machiner and the Vlike and aretherelore .not illustrated in detail herein. The cable 110 extends :trom'the Adrui'n'112 toa sheave 115 which is attached to one of the crossties 7 at a distance beyond. the end oi the unit conveyeiat least as great the length or the string' of cars tobe loaded, and from the sheave 115 the cable `110 is broughtbaclr and` hooked or otherwise connected at 116 to the' last car@ oit the string to be loaded. rEhe cable 111v extends from the'vdruni 113 to the end ol" the ear or the strinef,that is, the

1 o first car which enters beneath the conveyor and is thedast to leave.y

The string oi cars isbrought to the work` ing place bythe usuallocomotive, horse or string ot ,carsfout from fbeneath the unit con-` veyer sufficiently to bring` the nent car into loading position.' i Vilhenall of the cars `have been filled, the cables are disconnected and 'the locomotive or animal draws the loaded train from rthe workingplace.

In the operation of the conveyer which l have shown and described, it is intended that the coal be broken down in the worling place by ordinary methods, such as Aby undercuttiiig and shooting, byl automatic: pick-machines, or any# other desired way.

When a cut of coal has been biolen down at the working piace, a loading machine, which may be oi the type described and claimed in my copending application 528,976, or may be ot any other" desired construction, is brought to the working place and made in cross section 'for supporting each of the `said sections over aimine track, leaving the vsaid track .unobstructedz `for the entrance oil2 cars. i

5 7. A conveyer lcomposed, et plurality ol upon aicar onlsaid track 'when theisaid.` frame is moved beyond the sai'delevatingmeans.

' 9. A coalconveyerconiiprismg:a plurality Of connectediun cctons, each ci the-said sections comprising-an endless :carrier -rajinijes` ef.1 nver ted ,Ufshape inf cross-section for bridging a minetra'ck and for support-- ,ing lthe said carniers. and auxiliary tracks beside *thel mine tracks `Afor supporting the'.

said Vtrames y Witlithe :said "carriers higherA than the tops ofcars onsaid tracks, whereby V-When said frames are moved beyond the ends ol said auxiliary tracks, the said frames Vand carriers are permitted todesccnd 'and `rest upon the tops ofcars on the InincV track. IOWA conveyer adapted to transfer coal lfrom a,loading.machine..to.cars,' andmeans for supporting the? said conveyorv independently of the. ysaid loading lmachine,tlie lsaid Y Supporting tracks disposed beside fthe tracks, for ,the 40 Y saidV cars and lcarried by the `.ties offsaid mine tracks.

11. A conveycrcomposed of a series of sections consisting of an yinclinedv yendless 4.15 vconveyer adapted to `.deliverxtlie.coal 'from its upper endl `-upon `the lower; end of` the v next conveyer, .and means for; supporting vthe 4said conveyersv i Tabove i ai mine 'track l lWhile leaving the said track unobstructed forthclentrance oi carsgsaid supportingmeanscom# prising auxiliarytrackscarricdby the'ties of the said mine tracks.

'12..A conveyeri composed of a plurality l movably ettachi.ngI the saidtemporary track @to the ties; of agn'iinetrack.

-f 13.11A .conveyer unit Hcomprismg an a in clined endless carrier,vv ai heelcdraniesup "f porting; theysaidv carrier, temporary tracks f e -tor;supportingcheqsaid.,fnamef averi-a; mine 6D traakin/bilel leavlngsthe sind? mijn@ traclnaunmeans comprising .auxiliary ..units eac obstructed for the entrance of cars, and

means for removably attaching thesaid ternyporary track to the ties of the said-mine track.

14. A conveyer unit composed of an inclined endless conveyer, a Wheeled frame supporting the said. conveyer, temper-ary tracks for supporting the said frame 4civer a mine track While leaving .the said` mine vtrack ui'iobstructed,` the said temporary tracks being' composed of channel bars and supports for thesaid bars having legs adapted tofrest on the ties of the Said mine` track, and projections formed onthe saidsupport ,ing legsandjadapted. to, entercpenings' in the.l said ties.

15. A conveyer ycomprising a connected series gof unit sections, eachiofthe sa1`dfsec- -tions comprisingfan aendlcss conveyer adapt- -ed tovdeliverftlhecoal from its outer end .upon the,loWer-end of the-nextconveyer9 -a AWheeled frame' for supporting the; said in .i clined .convcycn vand temporary:V tracks `:for the "Wheelspfof.l the :said convcyers,- the .i said ytraclni:being .reniova-blyjinounte'd onthe ties rofl-a ,minei track:l outsidefof the rai-ls' oigthe isaidftrackiand elevated-above; the said rails.

16. Ay conveyer comprising a plurality of conveyer' units,` cach @unit 'being .mounted on Wheeled supports g and l auxiliary tracks adapted to be. temporarily attached to the ties'oiE an ordinary mine: track for support- 'ing the :said conveyers,;tlie i said tracks being1 composed of` channel bars andy having .their approach ends inclined .1 downwardly `and conveyers.

y17,' An auxiliarytrack. constructionV for coal conveyers :comprising channeled rails, supports. secured at intervals to` :the underside (it said rails,fand' projections extending widened;l to.; receive the'. Wheels of the 1said v:from they underside ofsaiddsupports 4and connected unit. sections, each of `the said.

`coal conveyers Y comprising 'channeled rails,

supports secured at intervals to the undersideof said rails, 2 U-sliap'ed supports secured 'at .intervals `to theunderside of said rails,

Iand' projections rertending.from the under- Aside oifisaidsupports and adapted to enter openings in thec'rosstiesror1 ordinary :nine tracks.

-i 19.A conveyer"comprising a plurality of units each.havingI an 4endless motordriven carrier,l and an Velectric circuit'including the motors of thei said conveyers, the said` elecn "tric 'circuit ralso including switches-for the individual conveyer units so arranged-that all'4 .ofathe-said motorsmay: bey started and Stopped; frornf.z any `one .of :,.f1tlie .said i unit switches.` Y

2011A.. conveyer comprising, a plurality of having; a `motordriven endless means .fr-for :.electrically connecting the motors of the said units, and a two-point momentary Contact push button switch societed with each of said units and con neetions, whereby all of the said motors may be stai-ted and stopped by means of any onek of the seid Switches.

2l. A Conveyer composed of a plurality of connected unit sections, each of the said unit sections comprising an inclined endless oonveyei, a Wheeled frame supporting the said. endless oonveyer, an electric inotor carried by the said frame, a` control circuit including all of the motors of the said unit sections, and switches for each of the said motors, tlie said control circuit being so con- 15 nected that the entire series of motore may be started and stopped by means of any one of the said motor switches.

In testimony whereof, I, the said JOHN A. FORSYTH, have hereunto set my hand. JOHN A. FORSYTH. Witnesses:

ALFRED W. HESSE, ALBERT R. MORGAN. 

